,,- ,j ,':, ! ' , .. .. I" J i I ,' :> ! ': J : 1J . { ij; :. I """ ;: . "f. ; ;\ ' ..:t- '" . ,,J ';. " ' - ""' , } , -:." : , ' '\1 ..' ,:W " 30 ,":'.:'W, c: :-:-:.:: :: ::' : ,,*. , " , j "'"" ,'f- 1;" .>>> y"'""" ; ;:':} :::) ': ':V.- '::." - ,:',:. . ': Ik"":,,,;ø., It, " ,,"""..<<- ., ""'" .", , \. ;\" I ' ..';fH .. i\îrÎ*t*+ 't. " · " (í :r;; L r f ,., ,:,:;,; " 4:::' -------- "Why, W aldina, you remember Baron von Meinhardt-Stellwitz.' } ou met him at V}-r hzte Sulphur." you ever so much for myself and Dwight." "Glad I could help you out, Esther. I'll try some more," he said. The irl looked from him to Amy and back to Malloy, raised her eye- brows almost imperceptibly, and left. " F A)JCY seeing you here," said Amy. "How does that happen?" "I made a wrong turn." "I know, but why are you in this part of the country at all? I thought you lived in California." "I do. I'm on my way there. I just bought that juggernaut outside, in Boston." "What IS it? I never saw one like it. " "It's a Duesenberg. How about a ride in it?" "Are you crazy Or do you think I am? Sit down, and in no time at all I'll give you a cold roast-beef sandwich and a pot of coffee." " I ' d " h d " S h In own, e sal. a t is is . . where you are. Didn't you go to school here? " "Yes, and this is where I end up. Pretty thought." "It agrees with you. You look fine." "1 look healthy-fat as a pig, but so are you. I hardly recognized you. You ought to do something about it, Jim. I would have passed you on the street." "I'd have whistled at you," he said. "V\T auld you? You haven't changed inside. " "Well, a matter of degree. By the vvay, that's a slick chick I just brought home." "Now, really. You're old enough to be her father." "But I'm not her father, so that makes it all right. Do me a favor. Go h " easy on ere "Why should I?" "F or old times' sake," said Malloy. "She was an hour late when she had the accident. She's my responsibility." "F or old times' sake." "We were never anything much." "Maybe you and I weren't, much, but you and somebody else were, and I took you to the doctor." "Shut up, for God's k '" sa e. "All right I just thought that was a nice kid, and when I realized it was you she had to report to, I fig- ured she'd get a break. Well. .." He started to rIse. "Sit down. I hear your sandwich and coffee," she said. Harley hesitated at the door of the study, but came on in, raising his eyes only to scrutinize Malloy. He did '}' """"::,;i ,- not say "You're welcome" x" : to Amy's "Thanks." Amv ;., laughed. "Portrait of a '*, Yankee about to start a little gossip about a middle-aged sch oolmarm." "1' d better go." "No, let him have his fun. I have a spotless reputation. Eat your food." " I ' f " tsar you. "It was, but I'm not hun- " gry now. "Eat half." "All right, I'll eat half. I'll drink my coffee out of a glass, like a Russian." She got a tUlnbler from her bath- room and they began to eat. L'You can relax," she said. "I'll go easy with Esther." Her mouth was half full. "Thanks," he said. "But only for old times' sake," she said. "I haven't thought of those days for years." . "I don't believe that," he said "I don't either," she said. "Here we SIt, fat and middle-aged, me chewing on one side of my mouth because I'm afraid of losing a filling." "Right." "It's not too bad," she saId. He said nothing. She put down her sand wich "Well, at least we can pretend it isn't." "Right," he said.- JOHN O'HARA :\ ;\ ......;.0.: . YOUNG lady, experience unnecessary. vvho is vvilling to adapt herself to a grow- ing antique shop in Westchester County. State qualifications. Z 2259 Times Annex. -Adv. in the Times. Growing big or growing old?